


Slash and Burn

by turps



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:00:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2065620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turps/pseuds/turps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about nature and killer fruit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slash and Burn

**Author's Note:**

> First, thank you to themoononastick who remains a wonderful beta.
> 
> Also, thank you to all the people who have patiently listened to me complain about writing recently. 
> 
> This story is for the h/c bingo prompt, mutation and based on this recent picture of Gerard and Mikey.

The problem with the Ways is, Ray thinks, they’re fucking insane. Not always, sometimes whole days can go by when he’s lulled into a false sense of security -- whole days where for all outward appearances, the Ways are so-called ‘normal’ people, with their only eccentricities being a penchant for hair dye and excessive comic book reading.

And then there are days like today.

“This is a stupid idea.” It’s not the first time Ray’s made that observation. Or the second or third. Hell, at this point he’s probably into triple figures, but it’s something that needs repeating. “A stupid fucking idea and you’re going to end up eaten alive by a rose bush.”

“Rose bushes don’t eat you, they strangle,” Gerard says, blase as he arranges himself on the bench and deliberately bypasses Ray’s point. “Remember that attack in zone two? It took nearly an hour to get you untangled.”

“Untangled?” It’s not the word Ray would have used, even now, several months later he still gets cold sweats when he remembers needle-sharp thorns digging into his leg and the disconcerting sensation of rose bushes creeping over his body. “And of course I remember. I nearly ended up with a rose piercing my dick.”

“A thorn piercing your dick,” Mikey corrects, shrugging slightly as he adds. “The roses themselves can’t pierce skin yet.”

Gerard turns slightly, his attention solely on Mikey, animated as he says, “But if the mutations keep happening the petals could eventually weld themselves to the skin, like some kind of poisoned scale. If that happens we’ll have to invent more repellents." 

“Or not sit half naked in the middle of a hot zone,” Ray says looking pointedly at Mikey, because of course neither Way is wearing protective clothing, although at least Gerard is wearing something with arms. “You could have worn a shirt at least.”

“It’s hot,” Mikey says, his legs outstretched and head tipped back to the sun. “And I’m wearing a hat.”

Ray suppresses a sigh, well aware that any practical concerns are always brushed off. “Because that’s going to protect you if you’re attacked by the marrows.”

“If any marrows come close I’ll cleaver the bastards in half.” Frank’s voice crackles in Ray’s ear, sounding distant, the comm line hissing each time Frank moves while maintaining his watch on the Ways. “Then I’ll eat the fuckers for dinner.”

Ray imagines roast marrows, green vegetables and juicy ripe fruit, things he once enjoyed eating but can’t now unless willing to risk violent death. Pushing aside memories of past meals he says, “Forget cooking, you’d be better off clearing vines. It sounds like they’re trying to pull down the communication lines again.”

“They’re always trying to pull them down.” Another crackle, Frank’s voice dropping out briefly before he says a terse, “Movement at twelve o clock.”

“Can you see what it is?” Even now Gerard sounds relaxed, like he really is a stupid lung-breather who decided to leave the domes and take a break in the sun. “I can’t see anything.”

Ray pushes himself up on his tiptoes, machete gripped in one hand and flame thrower reassuringly heavy against his left thigh. From where he’s standing he can clearly see Gerard and Mikey - lung-breather bait in a rare unscorched part of an abandoned old park. “Nothing here either,” Ray says, and then stops, barely breathing when off to one side a branch rustles. “Wait. I see it. Something moving to the right and behind Mikey.”

“Got it,” Gerard says, and despite how outwardly he still looks unworried, Ray can hear underlying tension as he glances past Mikey. “It’s a pear.”

“Exploding or poisoned?” Ray asks, and hopes it’s the latter, because no matter how brutal the poisoned varieties can be, at least they only hurt at a very close range. 

“Exploding,” Mikey says, reaching behind his back as he looks directly at Gerard.. “On three?”

“On three,” Gerard agrees, and Ray takes in how Gerard’s tensing to move, one hand moving as he grabs for the knife he keeps tucked in his boot. “One, two….”

“Three,” Frank yells, and already Ray’s moving, machete held up high and heart racing as he runs to the park. It’s a distance that only takes a few seconds to cross, but already the pears are increasing in number, the tree they’re attached to rippling and bowed down, branches groaning as all around, fruit is thrown through the air. 

“Exploding fruit fuckers,” Frank says, skidding to a stop next to Ray. “I’ll take the right.”

Ray nods, and effortlessly takes his place next to the Ways, knives glinting in the strong sunlight and pears exploding around them, peppering Ray’s arms with burning hot pulp. Brushing something wet from his cheek, Ray looks to his left and sees that Mikey’s exposed shoulders are dotted with patches of red, that Gerard’s got something dripping down the back of his neck, that Frank’s grinning as he severs a branch with a swipe of his knife. 

It’s something that’s become second nature, standing side by side, a lung-breathing barrier against nature as it continues to mutate and fight to take back the world -- and together with his friends, Ray intends to stop that as long as he can.

“Ready,” Ray says, the others falling back slightly as Ray brings up his flame thrower and them yells, “Fire.” Steady and unmoving as the pear tree screams and bursts into flames.


End file.
